Auto-Tune The News??? LMFAO!!!

Wooooooooooooow! I saw this. Laughed a little. Kept watching. Died laughing. Reeeeeeee-dunk-ulous. LOL! Check this out A.S.A.P.

Nat King Cole To Blu & Exile

Here's another old to new I'm posting for your musical pleasure. Again, Nat King Cole's When Sunny Gets Blue is such a classic in itself. You can distinctively hear the sample at the end of Blu & Exile's Blu Collar Workers. They put a very creative twist to it in my opinion. I love both. Check it out...

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Fwd: Auto-Tuneless ... KRS-One and Buckshot's Robot

Robot, produced by Havoc of Mobb Deep, is the first track off of KRS-One and Buckshot's Survival Skills in stores August 25th on Duck Down Records. This is another one of those tracks that popped up in the email (thanks to our people at Mac Media).

Robot is real! They come straight at the current auto-tune trend and the copy-cat mentality of the craft. Remember Roger Troutman? KRS-One and Buckshot do.

This track is just an indication of a dope album on the way. According to the press release, "Survival Skills has confirmed features from Mary J Blige, Slug of Atmosphere, Immortal Technique, K'NAAN, Talib Kweli, Sean Price, Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Smif N Wessun, Rock of Heltah Skeltah and Geo of Blue Scholars. Production on the album includes tracks from Havoc, of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, Marco Polo, Moss, Coptic, KHRYSIS! and Ill Mind."

Yeah, you can say wow now.

The track is available May5th on iTunes.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

THE BRIEFING: Wait, So Tom's Not My Friend Anymore?

Many may or may not have heard, but reports indicate that many of MySpace top execs are out. Reports indicate that at the very least senior execs, including cofounders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, are among those that will be replaced.

Found this piece on the Business Insider. Interesting to bring on a former Facebook guy. Check out "The First Ten Things" list below.

From Business Insider

Reports say the new CEO of News Corp (NWS) social network MySpace will be former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta. Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis, who's close with News Corp digital boss Jonathan Miller, probably knows whether this is true or not, but he says he can't confirm or deny it till Friday.

This has not, however, kept Jason from offering his opinion on what MySpace should do going forward, whomever its new CEO may be.

He's written a list of "The First Ten Things the New CEO of MySpace Should Do."

1. Buy a search engine
2. Admit Facebook is beating you on the Web and focus on owning mobile
3. Double down on global efforts
4. Parallel rebuilding of the MySpace platform
5. Focus on Building a Huge Social and Casual Gaming Business
6. Build a MySpace Virtual Currency
7. MySpace should launch a full-blown email service with a partner.
8. MySpace’s new CEO should build a team bonus program based on unique visitors and page views
9. Meet with top members and run a gazillion focus groups
10. Buy or build a network of high-value content sites

TELL 'EM WHY YOU MAD: Damn that Lack of Customer Service

Below is a slightly older post, back when we first started. But I had some poor customer experiences earlier in the day that reminded me of it. I started to write and then I figured I would just re-post the joint. Crazy how this was written in 2006 but still rings so true today.

Original Post, September 18, 2006

I was recently having an everyday convo with a friend of mine about customer service and how bad its gotten. We pretty much agreed that saying it's gone downhill would be an extreme understatement. Customer service is one of those skills that any human being should be able to have. It's not Rocket Science. Geez, it's not even simple Add and Subtract kind of math. But it is required when going for a position in a supermarket, mall or any kind of retail store. I haven't applied for a position in years where customer service is required but I'm sure the applications ask if you have any experience in it. So how are people getting these jobs but aren't qualified leaving us, the customers, feeling berated and confused.

My feeling is this: Customer service is dead! R.I.P.! Gone Fishing! On Vacation!

Now my question is this: Where did it go? Why aren't we fighting to get it back? What are we doing to reverse this epidemic?

Here's a paraphrased excerpt from my friend's email conversation:

"...Dude, mention how (expletive) annoying the (Retail Chain Store) is where I live .. that we still ride out of town instead of going to the one in our own town...because the people they got working there SUCK. You ask them a question and you want to say "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting your day by making you work? Yeah, my bad for not letting you finish your conversation with your homegirl (who, by the way, works there too) about how stank your baby daddy is and about the party you went to the night before...which everyone in the freakin' store knows thanks to your loud, rude, no work ethic having self." I'm saying, just making minorities look bad daaaaaaaaaamn!..."

Don't give me attitude, make angry facial expressions, or get mad at me because I need help. I didn't tell you to get that job. I didn't make you come to work. Leave all that negativity at home!

To put the question into a form that "most" young kids (who are the core of our customer service problem), WHAT'S REALLY GOOD?!?!

Fwd: KRS-One and Buckshot Freestyle

You just got to love the stuff that shows up in your email from time to time. Received a link earlier to a video from Tony Touch's show on Shade 45, where KRS-One and Buckshot were guests. While on the show they apparently free-styled for a ten-minute stretch. This is just part one (Click to View). KRS-One and Buckshot have a studio album in the works, Survival Skills, that hits stores in August on Duck Down Records.

Keeping it Real on Air ... DJ Hyphen

I came across DJ Hyphen and the Sunday Night Sound Sessions through my man O a while back. He put me on to this DJ out of Seattle that was doing a real dope show on Sunday nights, then emailing the mp3 out to folks who wanted it and posted it on his The Audacity of Dope website (www.theaudacityofdope.com). It took me a while to get on to what Hyphen was doing but eventually I subscribed to that mailing list and surely the emails started coming with the playlist and mp3 attached. It’s been a pleasure to hear some stuff from folks that definitely deserve radio play but aren’t getting it in the current scheme of things.

He spotlights the kind of artists that you have to either live in their area to hear their stuff or comb through MySpace music and other networking places to hear about it. Through his Sunday Night Sound Sessions, Hyphen and co-host J. Moore strive to give good music airtime. It’s definitely not the full amount of airtime that so many talented heads deserve but as Hyphen explained, commercial radio is a business.

I decided to reach out to Hyphen for a Q&A. He definitely keeps it real and insightful. Here’s what Hyphen had to say.

Where does "The Audacity of Dope" name come from?
The Audacity of Dope name comes from a play on Barack's 2nd book, The Audacity of Hope. I founded the blog in May 2008 as a home for our Sound Session interviews and episodes, which was also around the time I started working in a fellowship program for Obama's campaign. It seemed like a natural fit to tie my political interests with passion for music. Plus, I like that people have to spell 'audacity' to get to the page. Those who can't shouldn't be there anyway.

What's the inspiration behind the show "Sunday Night Sound Sessions" and why you do it?
Sunday Night Sound Session is the brainchild of myself and my co-host, J. Moore. It started when KUBE 93 approached us to take their Sunday night new music show into a new direction, preferably something a little more focused on the 'underground' side of hip-hop. Having hosted a college radio show for four years previously, I knew I wanted to make Sound Session similar to my Beats, Rhymes, and Life college program, but take it to a new level with the increased wattage. J and I are inspired on a weekly basis to give some shine to deserving artists that may not be getting the exposure they deserve through traditional media outlets. In other words, we support good music, across multiple genres, because most commercial media outlets are more concerned with turning a profit than promoting art. We understand that it's ultimately a business, but we think there should be more of a balance, and hopefully Sound Session provides some of that.

Why aren't there more programs like "Sound Session" on other stations?
There aren't more programs like Sound Session because the current business model with commercial radio doesn't allow it. Plain and simple, radio at this level is a business designed to make as much money as possible for large corporations. There's nothing wrong with that from a capitalist level, but from an artistic perspective, it's a huge detriment to the music. Large corporations sell hip-hop the same way they'd sell shoes or pizza. Whatever they can do to make money, they'll do it. This translates to media outlets across the country promoting the most base level human interests in their entertainment packages, which is particularly evident in hip-hop. If big budget action movies depend on explosions and flashing lights, hip-hop radio tries to sell sex, drugs, and violence. They're the easiest topics to sell because they require the least amount of education. When you have a rapper on our show talking about socio-economic issues and gentrification, you're automatically going over the heads of at least half of society. It’s sad but true. It all starts with education.

Who are three ill artists right now flying under the radar?
The first artist that pops into my head is my dude Shad (www.myspace.com/shad). He's insanely talented lyrically, makes great songs that everyone can relate to, and takes pride in his sound and his message. That's pretty much my criteria for who I want to listen to, and it's only a matter of time before he gets the recognition he deserves. Along those same lines, there's a MC from the Bay/LA named Tunji (www.myspace.com/tunji) that I've known for almost a decade now. He's one of the most talented artists I've ever seen and like Shad, he takes so much pride in his music and what he represents. He's going to make some classic music sooner rather than later. Lastly...hmm...I'll throw a curveball and go outside of hip-hop. There's an indie pop/R&B group from Sweden called Little Dragon (www.myspace.com/yourlittledragon) that makes some incredible music. I don't know too much about their story, but their music is a great mix of all the best elements of pop, soul, R&B, and even some hip-hop influences. I definitely recommend people to check 'em out.

Also, here’s a taste of the Sunday Night Sound Sessions. If you like it, hit Hyphen up and get on that mailing list.

Link to download the mp3 of the show - http://www.mediafire.com/?zjwznhl3w2m
(back up / streaming link - http://www.zshare.net/audio/5895088060a5bf87/)


Show #203 Playlist (4-19-09)
1. Crooked I & DJ Wicked – “Jackin’ For Beats 2009”
2. Pac Div – “Pac Div (What It Is)”
3. Nipsey Hussle ft. Slauson Boys & K. Young – “Roll The Windows Up”
4. Defari – “Show Some Luv”
5. Skyzoo ft. Wale – “Freshfest”
6. Grynch – “A Dream Undeferred” (Local Artist)
7. Chali 2Na ft. Talib Kweli – “Lock Sh*t Down”
8. Stepbrothers (Evidence & Alchemist) – “It’s Coming Down”
9. Big Pooh – “Rear View Mirror”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH KUDDIE FRESH**
11. Asher Roth ft. Miguel Jontel – “His Dream”
12. B.o.B ft. Devin The Dude – “Gettin’ High”
13. Sharam ft. Kid Cudi – “She Came Along”
14. Chester French – “C’Mon (On My Own)”
15. Dyme Def ft. Saigon – “Pick Up Ya Flow” (Local Artist)
16. Jadakiss ft. Raekwon & Ghostface Killah – “Cartel Gathering”
17. Shad – “Get Up”
18. Outasight – “Even Say Goodbye”
19. Common Market – “Escaping Arkham” (Local Artist)
20. Kidz In The Hall – “I Got It Made (Reebok Classic ’09)”
21. U-N-I – “Lauren London”
22. Drake ft. Lloyd – “A Night Off”

Q's Reality Show Song Featuring Black Thought?

I coincidentally found this record off Okayplayer.com's website just a few minutes after reading my co-blogger's post titled "The Road To Reality Television". Ridiculous. The timing of his post, the discovery of this song, Black Thoughts' insane lyricism, and J Dilla's production prowess. This is off of an upcoming album called Jay Stay Paid. J$P is a 25 track collection of unreleased (some have leaked) Dilla beats mixed and arranged by Pete Rock. The project is mostly instrumental, but includes vocals from Black Thought, DOOM, Raekwon, Illa J, Blu, Havoc, M.O.P. and more.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Jay Stay Paid:J$P - New Album From The Late Hip-Hop Legend J Dilla Coming This Summer...


Executive produced by Dilla’s mother, Ms. Yancey AKA “Madukes” on Nature Sounds June 2nd 2009!!

For more info, visit:
Nature Sounds

For more info on J Dilla, visit:
www.myspace.com/jdilla

For more info on Black Thought, visit:
www.myspace.com/blackthought

A Second Listen ... Carlitta Durand

Carlitta Durand is a classic find. I posted about her a few days ago but that was before I heard the full mixtape. Felt like I had to come back and tell you that after I did my first (second, third and forth) listen, I have to say "Carlitta's Way: The Prelude" is hot!

She is cool, fresh, upbeat and mellow. Solid vocals and real lyrics. The mixtape has that smoothed out R&B with a soulful feel and a taste of new school jazz that smacks you in the face. It's a pleasure to listen to. Your ears will thank you.

I was already feeling "What If" but that's not the only quality track on the mixtape. "Thinkin Bout Ya" is amazing. "Someone Has Your Heart" is a real honest track. And I can't even find words to describe "A New Life", but I can't stop listening to the track. There's a lot of god music packaged in Carlitta's Way.

She hits the ground running with a very soultry sound and never looks back. She is definitely not afraid to put it out there. Get the mixtape!

Download: rapidshare.com/files/222174745/Carlitta_s_Way.rar

www.myspace.com/missdurand
www.twitter.com/CarlittaDurand

The Road to Reality Television

So, I've been thinking about doing a reality television show for a little while. It just seems like the type of thing to do to jumpstart my career. You have to think that the door must be wide open to career opportunities after I do a show. I mean I could possibly star on other reality shows after.

But I don’t want to do just any type of reality television – like I don’t want to be on Survivor or the Real World or even Amazing Race. I’m a pretty thin dude, so Biggest Loser isn’t going to work for me (unless they change the show to being about failed attempts to articulate oneself while talking to ladies). I want to do a dating reality television show. Yeah. Those are hot right now. That’s the ticket to stardom!

So, here's the concept – I'm going to find some really pretty girls and they will all vie for my affection. Crazy, I know. I have to find girls with personalities that will only work with me but definitely cause friction between each other. Not to mention women that must be really jealous. Hopefully they won’t be insecure though.

Oh, it's also really hard for me to remember names so I'm going to have to give them all nicknames of course. Names like “backbone” and “little miss” and "who are you" and “sweet tasty” and “white meat” and “black girl”. Yeah, that’s going to be good. It will help me remember them and it will be great that the world identifies them that way too. I’m trying to build careers, so it might even help them down the road.

I won't really like any of them of course. They’ll all have traits that I dig but none of them will be the complete package. I mean they can’t be because I won’t be able to have a second or third season of the show. I’ll need at least three seasons before I can line up my next reality television gig. Basically, together they'll kind of be like a super girl - you know, I'll merge all of their personalities together in blurred moments and never really spend enough time getting to know them, so the attraction will be superficial. Doing this hopefully will reduce my interaction with the super crazy parts about them and plus they’ll always just be affectionate and loving and never nagging. Well, when they nag or give me ultimatums, I’ll just send them home at elimination time. The nerve of a woman telling me that she doesn’t want to share me with several other women. Well, I guess I’ll keep some of the women that cause drama (cause as my man Black Ice said, "there’s no money in good health”) and drama equals ratings. Plus you have to allow the audience to have their favorites and the ones they don’t like (and then throw stuff at the television set when I send the “wrong” girl home each week).

But how will I know who is really there for me? I guess I could be like an adult and take them out on dates or whatever. Perhaps just have a series of one-on-ones with the girls. You know, date like a regular adult. Nah, that’s probably not going to be good for ratings either. Oh, I got it. These girls will need to fight for my affection. Perhaps like silly game show contestants. But this isn’t going to be your average game show. Perhaps one time I'll have 'em roll around in flower looking for chicken. Then they race to a frying pan and have to fry me up a six piece and a biscuit. Then perhaps another challenge will be arm wrestling while blind folded with a monkey on their back and wearing a bathing suit while emerged in jello. This will definitely help me weed out who is here for me or not.

Of course I have to introduce them to the fam, who will be reluctant to be pulled into this whole mess. But my mom (who probably tried to convince me not to do this show) will be hard on all the girls. That will help me really figure it out.

I’ll need a tour bus, a house and a stable in which we’ll film the show. In the end, I’ll take the finalists on a romantic getaway on an Alaskan fishing boat. After working for a week as a fisherman, it will be then that I’ll pick the one I want to spend the rest of my life (or until the reunion show) with. I mean duh; I obviously have to break up with her on national television in order for it to be real.

But before we get to the finale, I guess I need a sidekick that will also help me with my decisions each week. I’ll have my God-sister-butler-roadie-personal assistant-best friend-pilot-referee-chef fill that void (that’s one person by the way). They’ll help me deliver messages to the girls and will be by my side when I’m figuring out who I’ll eliminate each week. They’ll also be my eyes and ears in the house.

Shoot speaking of elimination, I have to figure out a good catch phrase. Hmm… “You know what time it is” … “Will you continue to rock my world”… “You here for the love of Q?” Damn! No, they don't quite have the right ring to it. Hmm… wait, I got it.

“Shortie, you still willing to be a fool?” Yeah, I like that. After they answer yes, I’ll give them a glass of champagne with a picture of a rose that tells time on it, that they can wear around their neck. That’s going to be dope.

This show is going to be great. You have to love dating reality television shows.

I'll call it "For the love of making a fool out of yourself”.

What I'm Listening To Right Now...J-Live

Aaaah yes. You know when you hit play on an album and you kinda expect it to be hot but then it's like, "Damn, this is DOPE!". Yeah, that's this album. So many tracks on here that I can possibly injure my neck to. So many dope lines. This dude is hip hop to me. No question. I appreciate artists like this because they keep my faith alive. Reassures me that there is music out there that can represent a part of the hip hop that I love. J-Live (also known as Justice Allah, legal name Jean-Jacques Cadet) is an MC, DJ, and producer from New York, and also the founder of Triple Threat Productions. J-Live ill. I hope you guys can take time out to listen. Check it out....



Go cop the album. Click cover to purchase.



For more info on J-Live, visit him on:
J-Live on Twitter
J-Live on Facebook
J-Live on MySpace

Check It...

Two things I'm feeling right now...this video and the rhyme DNA lays down in it. It's simple, yet so complex. Darren Cole put the video together and I suggest you check out more of his stuff at vimeo.com/darrencole. For more info on DNA, check www.myspace.com/mikedna.


An MC in his element from Darren Cole on Vimeo.